Picker stick check straps



1947. H. J. JOHNSON 2,426,353

PICKER STICK CHECK STRAPS FiledFeb. 23, 1946 ZNVENTOR.

HAROLD JZJOHNSON BY ATTORNEY FIG. 5 FIG. 6

Patented Aug. 26, 1947 PICKER STICK- CHECK STRAPS Harold J. Johnson, Denver, Colo., assignor to The Gates Rubber Company, Denver, 0010., a corporation of Colorado Application February 23, 1946, Serial No. 649,521

1 Claim. (Cl; 139-465) This invention relates to improvements in picker stick check straps.

In the textile industry, the looms usually em ployed are provided with oscillating picker sticks Figure 3 is a plan view looking through'plane 3-3, Figure 1, theupper end of the picker stick being shown in section;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4, Figand pickers, for operating the shuttle. Such 5, ure 2; pickers are oscillated at a very high speed and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation since they have considerable mass, a high moshowings. slight modification; mentum is developed and severe shocks theret Figure:6 is a view similar to that shown in tore result if the picker stick is ..brought to a Figure 1 ,showing'a slightly different modificasudden stop. r 10 tion; and

For the purpose of checking the movementof Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail showing the the picker sticks and bringing them to a shocklower end of a snubberpin. less stop at the end of each stroke, various de- 7 In the drawing reference numeral l0 desig" vices have been invented. nates the shuttle support or table and reference It is the object 01' this invention to produce a numeral II the picker stick. A picker I! has simple and substantial check mechanism that been shown as secured to the top of the picker will permit free movement of the picker sticks stick. during the greater part of their stroke and which Attached to the under side of the table H) are will subject them to retarding forces that intwo snubberv assemblies, each comprising a base crease gradually towards the ends of the stroke. I! having two downwardly extending spaced Another object of this invention isto prosnubber pins ll. The base is provided with an duce a deviceof the class described in which outwardly extending lug l5 having a notch IS the retarding mechanism is formed. from a in which is secured an adjustable snubber pin number of belts, preferably 01' the V-type which l1. snubber pins l4 and I1 are arranged as are mounted on the loom by means of a simple as shown in Figure 4 and since snubber pin I1 is snubbing mechanism, and which therefore can adjustable transversely, the curvature of the be applied to existing looms without any matebelts l8 can be varied 'by varying the relative rial change in the construction. position of the snubber pins. The picker stick Another object of this invention is to produce passes through the belts in the manner shown a device of the class described in which any dein Figures 3 and 4. gree of checking action desired can be obtained, Picker sticks employed in loom mechanism of to best suit the peculiarities of the loom to which the type here referred to moves about a pivot it is applied. of such a construction that the picker l2 ha a A further object of the invention is to produce substantially straight line motion. The result a simple attaching means that produces a snubof this is that at opposite ends of its stroke, the bing action which determines the forces required picker stick is inclined with respect to the verto move the belts and which can be adjusted to vtical, but in opposite directions. 'vary this force for the purpose of suiting it to In the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to the operation of the picker sticks. 4, belts l8 are of the same length and there- Another object istto produce mechanism that 40 fore when the picker stick is in the position will continue to function it one of the belts should shown in Figure 1, the belts are offset from each break and in which a broken or worn out belt other so that the picker stick at the end of each can easily be replaced. stroke will be in contact with all of them. When Having u riefly described the invention the picker stick begins its movement towards and the objects thereof, the invention will now 5 the position shown in Figure 2, it separates from be described in greater detail and for this purthe belts and moves freely until it engages the pose reference will be had to the accompanying inner surface of the upper belt in the assembly. drawing in which the invention has been illus- Any further movement first elongates the belt trated in its preferred form, and in which: loop and then slides the belt in the snubber until Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion the picker stick comes into contact with the of the loom. the upper part of the picker stick next belt below, whereupon the two upper belts and the check mechanism; slide, allowing the picker stick to come into en- Figure 2 is a side elevation similar to that gagement with the third belt from the top and Sho n n Figure but ShOWS h p c er St c this continues until the picker stick is in enat the opposite end of its stroke; gagement with all of the belts in the assembly.

Any further movement of the picker stick now requires all of the belts to slide in the snubber until the picker stick reaches the extreme position shown in Figure 2. On the return motion the snubbing action is repeated, but in the opposite direction, bringing the belts back to the position shown in Figure 1.

Since the belts have a tendency to assume a circular shape, the first checking action begins when the picker stick engages the inner surface of the .upper belt and bends it towards the shape shown in Figure 4. During this bending operation, the picker stick engages one or more of the belts positioned underneath which are correspondingly changed in shape. When the force becomes strong enough, the belts begin to slide in the snrubber.

As above stated, Figures 1 to 4 show belts of the same size and length. However, it is permissible to employ belts of different lengths and to arrange them with the longest belt on top as shown in Figure 5, or with the shortest belt on top, as shown in Figure 6. Different check actions may be obtained by this variation in the lengths of the belts. With the arrangement shown in Figure 6, it is evident that the upper belt must slide farther than those below to a greater extent than with the arrangement having belts of equal length, and conversely, if the upper belts are the longer the movement of the upper belt will be less in proportion than with the arrangement shown in Figure 6.

By moving snubber pin [1 inwardly or out-v wardly, resistance offered to the sliding of the belts can be increased or decreased until the best operation is obtained. The lower ends of the snubber pins are provided with lateral projections [9 as shown in Figure '7 and these serve to prevent the belts from falling from the snubber;

From the above description it will be apparent that the picker stick check mechanism that has been shown and described opposes a gradual and increasing force to the picker stick, thereby grad ually bringing it to a stop. This check mechanism, by decreasing the shock due to the quick stopping of the picker stick, increases the life of the mechanism and results in a smoother and more uniform operation.

The belts employedhave a long life for the reason that they are subjected to comparatively little wearing force in sliding past the snubber pins, as the surfaces of the latter are always 4 smooth and polished and due to the number of belts employed, the force exerted by each can be comparatively small because the retarding forces are accumulative and the total therefore depends upon the number of belts which can be increased or decreased as desired.

If the belts are not of the endless type and require a splice, this is preferably positioned so that it will not have to pass through the snubber. In most instances, however, endless belts can be employed, but spliced belts may be used if desired. The belts may be round, V-shaped or fiat, but should all have the same cross sections. It is evident that the breakage of any one belt does not render the device inoperative. A broken belt can be readily replaced when the loom is idle. 4

Throughout the specification and claims, the terms "belt" and belts"-l 1ave been used. It is. of course, evident that straps designed specifically for this purpose may be used. Straps of 0rdi-' nary belt construction are, however, well suited for this purpose.

as new 18:

Having described the invention, what is claimed A picker stick check device comprising a pl u-' v A rality of separate, endless straps arranged in the form of a loop, encircling the picker stick,:the several strap loops being independent throughout their entire lengths and mounted for independ ent movement, in edge contacting relation, form HAROLD J. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Hamilton Oct. 1, 1946 

